In this article, we will see some of the best Studio Monitor pairs under $200 that have a flat frequency response for music production, a punchy bass, and a pristine audio quality that does not gets muddy.
A studio monitor is a basic necessity of any home or professional mixing studio where accurate and precise audio is required for audio monitoring purposes. For a mixing artist, studio monitors are an absolute requirement to mix all the elements/tracks in a song as they do not add any color/frequency boost to the sound coming from speakers.
One of main differences between a studio monitor and regular speakers is that studio monitors do not add color to the sound and that is really important to carefully observe and level tracks in an un-mixed audio file.
Nonetheless, you can also use a studio monitor for casual purposes like listening to music or connecting it with a TV.
In the next section, let’s discuss some of the best studio monitors that you can get for under $200.
Also check: Best budget studio monitors – This Year’s top picks!
Best Studio Monitor Pairs under $200
Here are the best studio monitors under $200.
| Best Studio Monitors under 200 | Frequency tuning | Balanced o/p ports | Un-Balanced o/p ports | Power(W) |
| PreSonus Eris E4.5 | Yes | 2 | 2 | 50 |
| Monoprice Stage Right Series SV28 | Yes | 4 | 0 | 80 |
| Mackie CR5-X | No | 2 | 2 | 80 |
| Rockville APM8W | No | 2 | 2 | 500 |
| Tascam VL-S3BT | No | 0 | 2 | 60 |
| Behringer Studio 50USB | Yes | 2 | 0 | 150 |
| Alesis Elevate 5 MKII | No | 2 | 2 | 80 |
Let’s see each studio monitor pair in more detail and which one is right for you.
Related: 11 Things to consider before buying Studio Monitors!
1) PreSonus Eris E4.5 Near Field Studio Monitors
Product Specifications
- Tweeter size – 1 inch,
- Woofer size – 4.5 inch,
- Frequency response – 80 Hz to 20 kHz,
- Back firing acoustic port on each monitor,
- Knobs to control High and low end frequencies,
- Balanced ¼-inch TRS and 2 un-balanced RCA inputs,
- Front panel volume controls, headphones IN & AUX in,
- Power: 50W.
view the price of PreSonus Eris E4.5 on Amazon
A Deeper Analysis
PreSonus has been making outstanding products in an affordable price segment. One such product is the PreSonus Eris 4.5 nearfield studio monitors that fill a small-medium-sized room or a home studio with enough sound sonics. It is one of the best studio monitor pairs under $200.
The build quality of the Eris 4.5 is very similar to that of the Eris 3.5. The monitors are lightweight and made up of a vinyl plastic body. The monitors feel pretty robust, well-packed and do not make any notable humming or hissing noise.
Related: Best studio Monitors under $500 that provide a flat frequency response and clean transients!
The Eris 4.5 monitors offer various use cases like music production, mixing, listening to music, connecting to a TV or with your computer.
They have a flat frequency response which makes them capable enough for people related to audio professions where accurate reproduction of sound is a must.
The speaker packs all the controls. On the front panel, there is a power switch, volume knob, and alternate input ports.
The rear part of the active monitor houses all the crucial connections and inputs. You get two balanced and unbalanced inputs with two frequency control knobs to alter the high or low end of the audio signal.
All in all, the PreSonus Eris 4.5 delivers a proper bass response and super clean mid and high ends. It is an excellent choice for people looking out for reliable, efficient studio monitors for a small or medium-sized room.
Pros
- A stable bass response with a balanced top/mid end,
- Lowest noise or hissing compared to other similarly priced monitors,
- Great for music production, listening audio or connecting a computer.
Cons
- The overall size of the tweeter and the woofer could have been better.
2) Monoprice Stage Right Series SV28 8-inch Powered Studio Monitor
Product Specifications
- Tweeter size – 1″ silk dome,
- Woofer size – 8″ glass composite cone,
- Frequency response – 35 Hz to 20 kHz,
- Back firing acoustic port on each monitor,
- Sliders to control High and low end frequencies,
- Rear panel volume controls,On/Off switch and inputs,
- Balanced ¼-inch TRS, XLR output ports and un-balanced RCA outputs,
- Power: 80 W.
check the price of Monoprice Stage Right Series SV28 on Amazon
A Deeper Analysis
Monoprice stage right series studio monitors perform promisingly to offer you the best in class audio quality and deep bass response. The monitors are well suited for audio production or mixing and mastering purposes but can also be for casual purposes like listening to music, pairing with TV, desktop, etc.
The sound quality is what differentiates the Monoprice SV28 monitors from other studio monitors. In comparison to the PreSonus Eris 4.5, it is a bit loud to its high-powered speakers. However, loudness brings a problem in these speakers, and the sound becomes a little muddy on very high volumes.
Related: Best studio monitors for mixing and mastering!
The build quality of the monitors itself is pretty powerful and does not distort/hum even at high volumes. Furthermore, the monitors pack a single-inch tweeter and an eight-inch glass composite woofer. It incorporates the largest woofer you will find on a studio monitor for under $200.
All the controls are present on the backside of the active monitors, such as volume knobs, power switch, balanced XLR, TRS, and unbalanced RCA inputs. You can also find the sliders to tame the high and low-end response of the SV28 monitors.
Lastly, I would say that Monoprice SV28 speakers are one of the loudest studio monitors for under $200. It can easily fill a medium-sized room or a home studio with enough sound sonics.
Since the monitors have flat frequency response, they can also be used for audio mixing.
Pros
- An extremely capable emerging brand,
- A great fit for small to medium sized rooms,
- The monitors pack a very good bass and high end response.
Cons
- All the controls are on the back side of the monitor which can cause inconvenience.
3) Mackie CR5-X Studio Monitors
Product Specifications
- Tweeter size – 0.75″ silk dome,
- Woofer size – 5″ polypropylene-coated,
- Frequency response – 80 Hz to 20 kHz,
- Back firing acoustic port on each monitor,
- Front panel volume knob/power knob and headphone output,
- 2 Balanced TRS and 2 un-balanced RCA inputs on rear panel,
- Power: 80 W.
check the price of Mackie CR5-X on Amazon
A Deeper Analysis
The Mackie CR5-X finishes in our list of best studio monitor pairs under $200. The Mackie monitors constantly pack a very responsive and punchy low end topped with just enough high-end frequencies to avoid muddiness at super loud volumes.
For this reason, the high or mids are tamed to work accordingly to the low end of the speakers. I would say that these monitors do not pack super high amounts of bass, which makes them an excellent option for a room that is not acoustically treated.
The monitors come with a 0.75-inch silk dome tweeter and a 5-inch woofer made of polypropylene to ensure durability and long life. In addition, the monitors are lightweight with the solid build quality.
On the front panel, you get a volume/power knob and a headphone output. The rear panel of the active monitor’s houses all the necessary controls and connectivity ports like passive speaker outlets, AUX, balanced TRS unbalanced RCA inputs.
Related: Best studio monitors for Small Rooms or Studios!
All in all, I would say that after using Mackie CR5-X for producing, mixing, and mastering three songs of my latest album, I am pretty impressed by them. I have used them in my home studio for a month, and there was no problem using them. The high and mids were crystal clear, and the bass was punchy enough for a speaker of this size.
Pros
- The design is very eye-catching,
- Fills a medium sized room with enough audio sonics without distortion,
- A well defined audio quality with deep, powerful bass and crisp high/mids.
Cons
- The tweeters may generate a hissing noise when no audio is playing.
4) Rockville APM8W 8″ Studio Monitors
Product Specifications
- Tweeter size – 1.5″ neodymium silk dome,
- Woofer size – 8 inches polypropylene cone,
- 3.5 mm headphone output port,
- Frequency response – 80 Hz to 20 kHz,
- Back firing acoustic port on each monitor,
- Rear panel volume controls,On/Off switch and inputs,
- 2 Balanced TRS/XLR combo o/p and 2 un-balanced RCA inputs,
- Power: 60 W.
check the price of Rockville APM8W on Amazon
A Deeper Analysis
The Rockville APM8W is one of the best-selling studio monitors you can find on Amazon right now. These monitors are power-packed and deliver a very competitive sound quality. The monitor is built very consistently with 1.5-inch silk dome tweeters and 8-inch cone-shaped woofers.
On the front side of the monitors, you get no control whatsoever. And this is what can limit your efficiency of using these monitors. So, every time you need to lower the volume of these speakers, you either reach out to the rear side of the monitor or use your audio interface or the volume on the device itself.
As you may have guessed, the rear side of the active speaker unit incorporates all the necessary controls like a volume knob, output to the passive unit, XLR/TRS combo ports, headphone outputs, and unbalanced inputs.
The monitor lacks the frequency control knob that increases or decreases the low or high end on the speakers. So, my recommendation would be that if you do not have an acoustically treated room, these speakers might mess your mixing or mastering process.
I would say that these monitors are well suited for a music producer who has a small to medium-sized room or for a person wanting a new budget speaker system for their TV or to pair up with a computer. The real catch of these studio monitors, however, is the sound quality they deliver.
Pros
- Solid build quality,
- High number of input ports available,
- Punchy bass and well tamed high and mids,
- Enough loudness for a small to medium sized room.
Cons
- A slight hissing noise can be heard,
- Not great to pair with a TV or to surf videos,
- Nothing to control the lows and high end frequencies.
5) Tascam VL-S3BT Powered Studio Monitors
Product Specifications
- Tweeter size – 0.5″ silk dome,
- Woofer size – 3 inches,
- Bluetooth pairing available,
- 2 un-balanced RCA output ports,
- Frequency response – 80 Hz to 20 kHz,
- Back firing acoustic port on each monitor,
- Rear panel volume controls,On/Off switch and inputs,
- Power: 60 W.
check the price of Tascam VL-S3BT on Amazon
A Deeper Analysis
Suppose you want a speaker or a studio monitor that can be used to produce/mix music, listen to music, has BT connectivity, has a well-tamed bass response, and looks good in any averaged size room. In that case, I strongly recommend you checking out the Tascam VL-S3BT powered studio monitors.
The monitors produce no distortion at high volume levels and emit a pristine audio quality. In addition, these monitors are pretty lightweight and easy to carry around.
Also Check: Best studio monitors for home studio!
You get a Bluetooth button on the front panel of the active speaker to connect to devices wirelessly. Other essential controls like volume knobs, power switch, AUX IN, and RCA inputs are located on the rear side of the monitor.
However, a considerable drawback of the monitor system is that they lack balanced TRS or XLR connections. This may cause the monitor to pick up noise from the surrounding environment. In addition, an un-balanced connection is more susceptible to produce weird noise or hums.
Pros
- Gets very loud for a small room,
- Quick and easy bluetooth connectivity,
- Well balanced audio quality.
Cons
- You cannot control the low-end and high-end frequencies.
6) Behringer Studio 50USB Reference Studio Monitor
Product Specifications
- Tweeter size – 1″ silk dome,
- Woofer size – 5 inches,
- 2 XLR and TRS input ports,
- Frequency response – 80 Hz to 20 kHz,
- Back firing acoustic port on each monitor,
- Rear panel power switch, frequency control, passive speaker output and input trim knob,
- Power: 150 W.
check the price of Behringer Studio 50 on Amazon
A Deeper Analysis
The Behringer Studio 50USB looks presentable, packs a tight low end, uses the Bi-Amp technology to maintain a balanced sound, and offers quite a few connectivity options.
It houses single-inch silk dome tweeters and five-inch long-throw woofers. You can also adjust the studio monitors as per the sound acoustics of a room by using the sensitivity knob.
Both the studio monitors use proper Bi-amping mode to provide high quality, noise-free audio quality. The advanced waveguide technology enables the monitor to disperse and maintain a large sound sweet spot area.
Related: Best Studio Monitors under $100
The Studio monitors are loud enough to fill a small or medium-sized room with the right amount of sound sonics. In addition, the speakers offer a wide range of use cases such as music production, mixing, listening to music, or pairing it with a television.
In terms of connecting the studio monitors to any source unit, you’ll never have any problem. The Behringer Studio 50USB offers three connectivity options. You can use balanced TRS, XLR, or a USB cable to connect these studio monitors with, say, an audio interface.
All these controls and outputs ports are present on the rear side of the active monitoring unit. The power button & volume knob are also present on the back side.
Pros
- Ultra low noise levels due to XLR port availability,
- Versatile enough to be used for music production, listening music etc,
- Highly cost effective.
Cons
- For a very notable low end response, you may need a sub-woofer,
- Volume knobs at rear panel may cause issues for altering the volume levels.
7) Alesis Elevate 5 MKII Active Studio Monitors
Product Specifications
- Tweeter size – 1″ silk dome,
- Woofer size – 5 inches,
- Frequency response – 80 Hz to 20 kHz,
- Front firing acoustic port on each monitor,
- 2 un-balanced RCA and 2 balanced TRS input ports,
- Front panel volume control knob and headphone output,
- Rear panel power switch, Bass boost, passive speaker output and other input ports,
- Power: 80 W.
check the price of Alesis Elevate 5 MKII on Amazon
A Deeper Analysis
Alesis Elevate 5 MKII may not compete and deliver as good of a performance as Eris 4.5 or Mackie CR5-X, but I have nothing to complain about them. These studio monitors deliver more than you pay for. Again, for their price, they provide high sound quality and neat bass response. Also, the bass is not haywire, it is just enough.
Both the speakers have single-inch silk dome tweeters and five-inch high-quality woofers sufficient to deliver a frequency response ranging from 80 Hz to 20 kHz. The design is pretty simple and blends well with a studio setting.
Furthermore, it is the only studio monitor on our list with front-firing ports for even better bass response. The front ports offer slight flexibility as to where you can locate the monitors, whereas, in the rear-ported monitor, you need to leave some space between the wall and the monitor.
The front panel of the active monitor unit houses a volume knob and a headphone output. Other necessary controls such as power switch, bass boost, un-balanced RCA, and balanced 1/4″ TRS inputs are located on the backside of the active speaker.
Pros
- Very solid build quality,
- simple and clean design,
- The front ports for bass response lets you fit the monitor in tight spaces.
Cons
- You can increase or decrease high or low end frequencies.
Conclusion
If you know why studios are essential for mixing and mastering purposes, these studio monitors will make your mixes so much better. But before you do any type of mixing, make sure to calibrate the studio monitors according to your room dynamics.
I also recommend checking out these best budget audio interfaces to connect with the studio monitors. The audio interface plays a vital role in making sure that you hear the audio in the highest quality possible using balanced 1/4″ TRS cables. The benefit of using balanced cables is that these cables are less prone to pick up noise from surroundings.
Related: Best Studio Monitors under $1000 – Top monitors in each price category!
Furthermore, an audio interface allows you to record different instruments in great detail and connect various other studio equipments that you may have.
Lastly, do not forget to mention your favourite studio monitor pair in the comments.
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